27. Los Angeles, Los Angeles County. On 02/06, mud crashed into an apartment building in Westlake area after the storm toppled a 15 foot retaining wall; more than 100 residents were evacuated. Water swept across Pacific Coast Highway and the Ventura, Harbor and Santa Ana Freeways (Tan, 02/11). On 02/13 a home in Los Feliz was declared unsafe because rains had eroded its foundation (Tan, 02/19). On 03/01 a slide rumbled down a slope and flattened a house in the 3900 block of Eureka Drive in Studio City, pushing it into a backyard swimming pool. The houses on both sides of the pancaked house were yellow-tagged. The slope failure left four other homes (on Laurie Drive) perched precariously at the edge of an abyss. The residents had left the destroyed house after the City of Los Angeles red-tagged the structure as a precaution (Tan 03/05). On 03/01 a moderate-size landslide cascaded from a steep slope in Studio City and destroyed a house and several cars. The house had been evacuated due to concerns about the stability of the slope. This slide occurred more than five days after the rain stopped and illustrates the problem of delayed triggering of deeper landslides (Sue Cannon, USGS, 03/02). On 03/01 in the San Fernando Valley, the City of Los Angeles red- or yellow-tagged about 50 dwellings in danger of mudslide hazard in recent weeks, mostly along the slopes of Santa Monica Mountains (Tan, 03/05).
30. Malibu, Los Angeles County. On 12/06/97 homes in Malibu were damaged by waves and seacliff erosion. On 02/07 Malibu Canyon Road closed due to mudslides and rockfalls (Tan, 02/11). On 02/08 an ocean-eroded cliff buckled, causing one home to collapse and two others threatened. The homes along Broad Beach Road were undermined by high tides (Tan, 02/11). On 02/16 several houses along the beach of Malibu were damaged by the high surf and rainstorms (Tan, 02/19). On 02/23
Pacific Coast Highway, Topanga Canyon Boulevard, and Malibu Canyon Road were blocked by mudslides. A Union Pacific railroad trestle was undermined by the surging flows of the Ventura River and was not reopened to rail traffic for weeks (Tan, 03/05). On 02/24 in Malibu’s Las Flores Canyon, officials called for evacuation of about a dozen homes because of unstable ground. Also, more mudslides on Pacific Coast Highway forced officials to close the local courthouse (Tan, 03/05). On 02/25 a 140-foot-long retaining wall partially collapsed, damaging two homes above the slide on Calle del Barco. The 20-year-wall, along a narrow road (Rambla Orienta) just above Pacific Coast Highway, began to give away during the evening of 02/24 (Tan, 03/05).
Figure 1. Sketch of a typical debris avalanche scar and track. Although this figure shows the "zone of deposition" as quite near the source, debris avalanches can travel thousands of feet or, in exceptional cases, miles from the point of origin. Original drawing by Janet K. Smith.
Figure 2. Methods to reduce the hazard from debris avalanches include construction of a) deflection walls and b) debris fences. Because of the extreme force of impact associated with debris flows, these and similar structures should be carefully engineered and constructed. The specifics of these designs will vary from site to site. After Hollingsworth and Kovacs, 1981.
this old hillsides in los angeles
Hillside mc mansions of los angeles.
yep...the hill behind our office, held back by an old retaining wall, almost gave way.
that would have been fun. im glad the rain quit.
watch your grade beams on hillsides. (in reference to first picture under the top heavy modern.)
someone uploaded this photo to the image gallery yesterday... huge boulder on the raod in topanga canyon...
27. Los Angeles, Los Angeles County. On 02/06, mud crashed into an apartment building in Westlake area after the storm toppled a 15 foot retaining wall; more than 100 residents were evacuated. Water swept across Pacific Coast Highway and the Ventura, Harbor and Santa Ana Freeways (Tan, 02/11). On 02/13 a home in Los Feliz was declared unsafe because rains had eroded its foundation (Tan, 02/19). On 03/01 a slide rumbled down a slope and flattened a house in the 3900 block of Eureka Drive in Studio City, pushing it into a backyard swimming pool. The houses on both sides of the pancaked house were yellow-tagged. The slope failure left four other homes (on Laurie Drive) perched precariously at the edge of an abyss. The residents had left the destroyed house after the City of Los Angeles red-tagged the structure as a precaution (Tan 03/05). On 03/01 a moderate-size landslide cascaded from a steep slope in Studio City and destroyed a house and several cars. The house had been evacuated due to concerns about the stability of the slope. This slide occurred more than five days after the rain stopped and illustrates the problem of delayed triggering of deeper landslides (Sue Cannon, USGS, 03/02). On 03/01 in the San Fernando Valley, the City of Los Angeles red- or yellow-tagged about 50 dwellings in danger of mudslide hazard in recent weeks, mostly along the slopes of Santa Monica Mountains (Tan, 03/05).
30. Malibu, Los Angeles County. On 12/06/97 homes in Malibu were damaged by waves and seacliff erosion. On 02/07 Malibu Canyon Road closed due to mudslides and rockfalls (Tan, 02/11). On 02/08 an ocean-eroded cliff buckled, causing one home to collapse and two others threatened. The homes along Broad Beach Road were undermined by high tides (Tan, 02/11). On 02/16 several houses along the beach of Malibu were damaged by the high surf and rainstorms (Tan, 02/19). On 02/23
Pacific Coast Highway, Topanga Canyon Boulevard, and Malibu Canyon Road were blocked by mudslides. A Union Pacific railroad trestle was undermined by the surging flows of the Ventura River and was not reopened to rail traffic for weeks (Tan, 03/05). On 02/24 in Malibu’s Las Flores Canyon, officials called for evacuation of about a dozen homes because of unstable ground. Also, more mudslides on Pacific Coast Highway forced officials to close the local courthouse (Tan, 03/05). On 02/25 a 140-foot-long retaining wall partially collapsed, damaging two homes above the slide on Calle del Barco. The 20-year-wall, along a narrow road (Rambla Orienta) just above Pacific Coast Highway, began to give away during the evening of 02/24 (Tan, 03/05).
Figure 1. Sketch of a typical debris avalanche scar and track. Although this figure shows the "zone of deposition" as quite near the source, debris avalanches can travel thousands of feet or, in exceptional cases, miles from the point of origin. Original drawing by Janet K. Smith.
Figure 2. Methods to reduce the hazard from debris avalanches include construction of a) deflection walls and b) debris fences. Because of the extreme force of impact associated with debris flows, these and similar structures should be carefully engineered and constructed. The specifics of these designs will vary from site to site. After Hollingsworth and Kovacs, 1981.
time to re-read John McPhee's "Los Angeles Against the Mountains" in Control of Nature
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